San Francisco Department on the Status of Women

In 1998, San Francisco became the first city in the world to adopt a local ordinance reflecting the principles of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). In the intervening years, the Department has used the CEDAW human rights framework to guide our work and we have developed a number of innovative programs and tools to advance women’s human rights. We have conducted gender analysis of City Departments as well as City Commissions and Boards to identify areas of gender inequality and make recommendations. Our flagship grants program, the Violence Against Women Intervention & Prevention Program, funds 24 community-based agencies to address domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking.

The Department primarily focuses on 3 program areas: Women’s Human Rights, Violence Against Women, Women in the Workplace.